Sailing yacht

A sailing yacht (US ship prefix SY or S/Y) is a leisure craft that uses sails as its primary means of propulsion. Sailing yachts are actively used in sport and are a category of classes recognized by the World Sailing.[1]

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The length overall of sailing yachts ranges from 6 metres (20 ft)[citation needed] to over 70 metres (230 ft), with a majority measuring about 10 metres (33 ft); The cost of building and keeping a yacht rises quickly as length increases. In the United States, sailors tend to refer to smaller yachts as sailboats, while referring to the general sport of sailing as yachting. Within the limited context of sailboat racing, a yacht is any sailing vessel taking part in a race, regardless of size.

Modern yachts have efficient sail-plans like the Bermuda rig, which together with an appendage providing lateral resistance allow them to sail toward the wind.